Travel limiting device



April 2, 1946. 'r. G. A; SILLERS TRAVEL LIMITING DEVICE Filed May 29, 1945 tending adjacent door I 1.

l9. In general at least some of devices l9 will extend an appreciable distance outward from the front face of the doors. The devices mounted on adjacent doors may therefore collide and" thereby be injured when one of the doors is opened to an angl which varies with the dis position of the doors and of the devices, but which usually" greatly exceeds 90 degrees from the closed position. When a door is opened to provide access to one'of the cubicles, it is therefore necessary to.limit the opening movement of the door to a predetermined intermediate position, such as the position of door IS in Fig.

1, which will be referred to herein as normal open position. 7

At least some of the devices l9 will also extend an appreciable distance from the rear surface of the doors, thereby interfering with the removal of equipment contained within the cubicle when the door is opened only to its normal open position. To effect such removal it is therefore necessary to, open the door to another predetermined position, such asthe position of door I in Fig. 1,

which will be referred to herein as extreme open of the universal pivotal attachment of the rod on screw 23. When door I! is closed, rod 2| 1s in the position shown in Fig. 2. It will be apparent that screw 23 could also be attached to frame l3, stop 21 then being attached to door without altering the functioning and efllcacy of the device. 7

When the door is moved from closed position toward normal open position, rod 2| is guided by stop 27 in sliding engagement therewith and the door is left free to swing back and forth between closed position and normal open position. Upon opening movement of door |1 into normal open position, nut 28 abuts against the portion of stop 21 adjacent the lower portion of aperture 36 to stop the door. The door is thereby still left free to swing back toward closed position from the normal open position. The normal open position may be adjusted by screwing nuts 28, 29 in the one or in the other direction of rotation on rod 2|.

If the door is to be=opened to its extreme open position, the adjacent door must first be opened to substantially its normal open position. Nut 28 may then be disengaged at will from stop 21 by illustrated in greater detail in Figs. 2 and 3. The device comprises a roundrod 2| having one end thereof forged into an eyelet22. Rod 2| is pivotally mounted on door through eyelet 22' and a screw 23 mounted on the top flange of the door at a point remote from'the axis of hinge pin 8. Screw 23 is fastened to the door by means of a nut 24, a washer 25, and a bushing 26 encompassed by eyelet 22. I Rod 2| may swing in a horizontal plane in all directions about screw 23 and eyelet 22 is given sufficient vertical clearance by bushing 26 as to also permit rod 2| to swing to a limited extent in a vertical plane about screw 23. Rod 2| is thus capable of limited universal movement with respect to door The free extremity of;rod 2| is threaded and is provided with a plurality of .members adapted to engage a stop 21 mounted on frame I3 at a point remote from theaxis of hinge pin 8. Such members may comprise a nut 28 adjustably secured in position by a tapered jam nut 29 and another nut 3| adjustably secured in position by a jam nut 32. When nuts 28, 29, 3|, 32 have the same overall dimensions, a'washer 33 of larger diameter may be disposed adjacent nut 3|.

Stop 21 may consist of a short length of angle iron of which one web is secured to frame l3 by screws 34iand the other web forms a lug ex- This lug portion is provided with an aperture 36 comprising a lower portion of width substantially equal to the diameter of rod 2|. The upper portion of aperture 33 is sufficiently large for the passage of nuts 28, 29 isilgerethrough but not for the passage of washer The edge of aperturev 36 is provided with a bevel 31 on the side of stop 21 facing hinge pin I8. Rod 2| penetrates the lower portion of aperture 36 and is partially supported by stop 21 as a result the operator to enable the door to be swung through normalopen position. .For this purpose the operator raises rod 2| by hand or,if he cannot reachthe rod, by means of a stick 38. The rod is raised into the upper portion of aperture 36 in substantial axial alinement therewith so as to enable nuts 28, 29 to pass through the aperture while door I! is being swung through normal open position. The operator thereupon allows rod 2| to drop back into the lower portion of aperture 36. The threadedportion of rod 2| slides over the wall of-aperture 36 without interfering with the movement of the door. The necessity of raising rod 2| manually precludes inadvertent opening of door IT to its extreme open position and serves to remind the operator that the adjacent door must first be opened. When the door is open to its extreme open position washer 33 abuts against stop 21 to stop thedoor.

d When the door is swung backfrom its extreme open position to a position approaching normal open position, nut 29 slides over the beveled edge of aperturelsfi in response to movement of the door for guiding nut 28 into sliding engagement with this beveled edge until the door is returned drop back into the lower portion of theaperture and leaving door I 7 again free toswingback and forth between closed position and normal open position.

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig.4 a door 4| similar to door I! is associated with a frame 42 cooperating'therewith in a known manner to form a substantially weather tight structure. In doors of this character the hinge pin 43 is'preferably mounted on the frame. In the present embodiment door'4l carries a stop 44 similar to stop 21 except that the beveled face of the stop is turned away from the hinge pin.- Eyelet 22 is mounted'on a' bracket 45 welded to frame 42 through a bolt 46 screwed into the bracket and secured by a jam nut 41. Bolt 43 is screwed into bracket 45 to an extent permitting limited move--,

ment of rod 2| in a vertical'plane. In the present embodiment the position of nuts 28, 29 is reversed shown toward open position, rod 2l'is forced to aae'neaaswing withthe door by stop M'- andalso slides with. respect to? the stop:

of the: door to raise rod 2! and guide nut 28 out of abutting engagement with stop A l-while: pass:' ing. therethrough: When nuts 28,.-2'9have'passed through stop 44,rod- 2 i drops back to its original level. Further opening. movement of door 41' finally causes washer 33' to abut against stop M to: stop the door. The-door remains'free toswing back andforth between the positions defined. by

engagement of stop 44 with Washer 33" and 'with' nut 28but cannot be closed without intervention of the-operator. When the door istolbe closedthe: operator lifts rods: 2| to disengage nut 28 from stop 44:. Glosing; movement of the door causes'nut 28 to penetrate throughthe. aperture of stop-M andthe'door may then be closed completely without further attention'to rod 2 I".

Although but two=embodiments of the present invention have. been illustrated and described it;

travel limiting means for said door comprising elements so-mount'ed on said frame structure and on said door asto leave said door free to swing back and forth between two positions includingan intermediate position and to prevent sai'd door from being swung through said intermediate position by engagement of a first one of said elements witha second'one of said elements; means for disengaging at will said'first andsecond elements while said door is between said positions to enable said door to swing through said intermediate position' to an extreme position, and

means including said first one of said elements and a third one of said elements for stopping said door at said extreme position.

2. The combination of a frame structure, a door swingable relatively to said frame structure, and travel limiting means for said door comprising elements so mounted on said frame structure and on said door as to leave said door free to swing back and forth between two positions including an intermediate position and to prevent said door from being swung through said intermediate position by engagement of a first one of said ele-- ments with a second one of said elements, means for disengaging at will said first and second elements while said door is between said positions to enable said door to swing through said intermediate position to an extreme position, means including said first one of said elements and a third one of said elements for stopping said door at said extreme position, and means responsive to return movement of said door through said intermediate position for momentarily disengaging said first and second elements to leave said door again free to swing back and forth between the first said two positions.

3. The combination of a frame structure, a door structure swingable relatively to said frame structure, and travel limiting means for said door structure comprising a rod pivotally mounted on one of said structures and having two operating positions, a stop so mounted on the other When door 4 reachesa predetermined position nut 2 slides over the beveled edge; of stop 44' in response" to movementat said? stmctures as to guide said rod during movement or said door structure, and a member riioun'ifed on said rod operable when said rod is in one of said? operating positionsfor engaging said stop upon movement offsaid door structure in-1 one direction* of; rotation: into a. predetermined position and leaving said: door structure free to swing in the-otli'er direction of rotation-from said predetermined position and operable when said rodis hr the other of said operating positions for clearingsaid? stop.

4. The combination of a frame structure, a door structure swinga-ble relatively to said frame struc ture, and travel: limiting means for said door structure comprising: athreaded rod pivotally mounted on one of said-structures and. operable into a raised position and a" lowered position, a

7 stop so mounted orrthe other of said structures as to guide said rod during movement of said door structure, and. a-nut adjustably screwed on saidrod= operable-when-said =rod isin said lowered mounted on? the other of said structures as to guide said, rod during movement of said door structure, a nut adjustably screwed on said rod for abutting.- against said' stopupon movement of'said door structure in one direction of rotation into an adjustable intermediate position, means for; disengaging said nutfroin said stop when said door structure i's in-said intermediate position to. enable. said door structure to be moved through saidintermediat'e position, and a second I nutI-adjustably screwedon: said. rod for abutting against. said stop" upon. movement of said door structure in said direction of rotation into an adjustable extreme position.

6. The combination of a frame structure, a door structure swingable relatively to said frame structure, and travel limiting means for said door structure comprising a threaded rod pivotally mounted on one of said structures, a stop so mounted on the other of said structures as to guide said rod during movement vof said door structure, a nut adjustably screwed on said rod for abutting against said stop upon movement of said door structure in one direction of rotation into an adjustable intermediate position, means for disengaging said nut from said stop when said door structure is in said intermediate position to enable said door structure to be moved through said intermediate position, a second nut adjustably screwed on said rod for abutting against said stop upon movement of said door structure in said direction of rotation into an adjustable extreme position, and means responsive to movement of said door structure in the.

other direction of rotation through said intermediate position for moving said first nut out of abutting engagement with said stop only during said movement in said other direction of rotation through said intermediate positon.

'7. The combination of a frame structure, a door structure swingable relatively to said frame structure, and travel limiting means for said door structure comprising a threaded rod pivotally mounted on one of said structures, a stop so -mounted on the other of said structures? as to guide said rod during movement of said door structure, a nut adjustably screwed on said rod for'abutting against said stop upon movement of.

said door structure in one direction of rotation into an adjustable intermediate position, means for disengaging said nut from said stop when said door structure is in said intermediate position to enable said doorstructure to be moved through said intermediate position, a second nut adjustab'ly screwed on said rod for abutting against'said stop upon movement of said, door structure in said direotion of rotation into an adjustable extreme position, and a tapered nut screwed onsaid rod adjacent said first nut for guiding said first nut into sliding engagement'with said stop only during movement of said door structure-in the other direction of rotation through said intermediate position.

8. The combination of a frame structure, a' door structure swingable relatively to said frame structure, and travel limiting means for said door structure comprising a threaded rod pivotally mounted on one of said structures, a stop so mounted onthe other of said structures as to guide said rod during movement of said door structure, and a nut adjustably; screwed on said rod for abutting againstsaid stop upon movement of said door structure in one direction of rotation intoan adjustable intermediate position, means for disengaging said nut from said stop when said door structure is in said intermediate position to enable said door structure to be moved insaid direction of rotation through said intermediate position, a tapered nut screwed on said rod adjacent the first said nut for guiding the first said nut into sliding engagement with said stop only during movement of said door structure in the 'other direction of rotation through said inter mediate position, and a third nut adjustably screwed on said rod for abutting against said stop upon movement of saiddoor structure in said other direction of rotation into an adjustable extreme position.

9. The combination of a frame structure, ardoor structure'swingable relatively to said frame structure, and travel limiting means for said door structure comprising a threaded rod mounted for limited universal movement onone of said structures, a stop mounted on the other of said structures and comprising a, lug portion provided with substantially equal to the diameter of said rod, said rod being partially supported by said lug and penetrating said aperture bottom portion whereby said lug guides said rod in sliding engagement therewith during swinging movement of said door structure, a nut adjustably screwed on said rod for abutting against the portion of said'lug adjacent said aperture lower portion upon swinging movement of said door structure into a predetermined position, and means for raising said rod into said upper portion of said aperture,said

upper portion being of such size as to enable said nut to pass therethrough to enable said door structure to swing through said position.

10. The combination of a frame structure, a"

door swingable relatively to said frame structure, and travel limiting meansfor said door comprising elements so mounted on said frame structure and on said door as to leave said door free to swing back and forth between an extreme posi' tion and an intermediate position and-t prevent said door from being'swung through said intermediate position by engagement of a first one of said elements with a second one of said elements, means for rendering said first and second elements inoperative to stop said door at said intermediate position to enable said door to be swung past said intermediate position, and means responsive to movement of said door into said intermediate positiontoward said extreme position for disengaging said first and second elements to enable said door to swing through said intermedi- I 7 ate position.

THOMAS G. A. SILLERsL I 

